


Survival Instinct

by TheUnicornFountain



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: M/M, allusion to noncon, dubcon, ganlink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-18 01:28:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7293907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheUnicornFountain/pseuds/TheUnicornFountain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A one-shot that tells the start of Link's and Ganondorf's physical relationship, set in my <em>Blue Arrow/Undertow</em> universe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Survival Instinct

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, readers. It has taken a while, but here is a little something for you all to chew on while I get some chapters finished (if you like ganlink, that is).
> 
> This is rated Explicit for the dubcon sexual content and brief allusion to noncon.

# Survival Instinct

Link thought that, with distance, the underlying tension Hyrule put between him and Ganondorf would ease off. They had been companions for a while now, but Link knew how hard that was for the once Gerudo king. Their ancestors had always been destined to clash with each other, and in Ganondorf’s case he had fought tooth and nail against his fate to avoid such an outcome once more. He had wanted to be friends with the Hero, and Link was grateful. He wasn’t sure if his journey away from Hyrule would feel the same without another person alongside him.

Nevertheless, the tension persisted. Each day they drew further away from Hyrule, the bindings of friendship between Link and Ganondorf frayed a little more. Link couldn’t explain why it was getting worse instead of better. Perhaps, in some odd way, the expectancy of a fight had kept them in balance. But now they had removed themselves from the Goddesses’ scales.

Link was a quick learner. He soon picked up on the changes in Ganondorf’s body and words that signified his patience with the Hero was running thin. At these times Link either scaled back his interactions with the Gerudo, or removed himself entirely from camp for a while. When things eased up again, he would resume his normal behaviors. But the ebb and flow was never predictable. More than once Ganondorf’s mood changed without warning, catching Link off-guard. Sprained or broken bones were sometimes the result. On the rare occasion, Link could talk Ganondorf down before he was forced to either fight or flee.

There was no fighting or fleeing this time, however. Link and Ganondorf had gone to sleep in their shared tent after a normal day. Ganondorf had stayed up longer to read from a book while Link had drifted off. It was a peaceful rest – until Link was dragged out of sleep by the hands that wrapped around his throat. His eyes shot open, and he reached up for the fingers digging into his neck. He couldn’t breathe, and thus couldn’t cry out. All he could do was stare with wide eyes into Ganondorf’s blank, yellow irises. The Gerudo had his knees on either side of Link’s hips, keeping him still as he choked out the Hylian’s life. 

Link’s fingers scratched at the backs of Ganondorf’s hands, but while he drew blood the Gerudo paid it no mind. Spots were growing across Link’s vision. He could feel his mind clouding over as the pain built up in his chest and throat. Soon he would have no strength left. Should he go for the sword he was sure lay nearby, or try a gentler approach? He had enough time for only one choice.

Link moved his hands up to lay them against either side of Ganondorf’s head. The Gerudo’s hair was damp with sweat. What sort of terrible nightmare had led to this bout of madness? Link could come up with several guesses, but there was no time. He pulled at Ganondorf’s hair, gently, hoping the Gerudo wouldn’t resist. To Link’s relief, Ganondorf lowered his head. The Hylian drew it down far enough to place his lips against Ganondorf’s forehead where he mouthed the Gerudian prayer that had so often been bestowed upon him.

Ganondorf had strong faith, and in appealing to it Link gained the room to breathe. The hands slackened around his neck, and he sucked in a quick breath. His coughs and panting startled Ganondorf, who sat up with a gasp. Some of the blankness left his eyes, and they scanned the tent in horror. “Link–” He cut off when pain flashed across his face. His eyes closed in a grimace, and his fingers curled into Link’s blue tunic. “I’m going to hurt you.”

“No you’re not,” Link croaked. He could barely talk; Ganondorf had done some damage. He forced the words out through the pain. “Come on, _sant bregeta,_ we’re not enemies, right? You’re not going to hurt me.” _I hope,_ Link added silently. Ganondorf still had an unsettling look in his eyes. He was focused on some memory or feeling that Link couldn’t see or understand. Link braced his hands against the blanket beneath him and tried to shift out from beneath the Gerudo. 

Ganondorf’s eyes sharpened and looked down at Link. His fingers dug into the Hylian’s shoulder. “Stop squirming, boy,” he growled. 

Link stilled. It wasn’t in his nature to comply to orders, but this was a dangerous situation where he was at a disadvantage. With no weapon in hand, he couldn’t match Ganondorf’s size and strength. Soon, the outcome would be decided. Link could see Ganondorf losing the fight. All of the lashing out, the shifts in mood, the skewed balance between them… It was about to come to a head. Link didn’t want to die at Ganondorf’s hand. The Gerudo would never forgive himself. He had to survive, and that meant using the only bargaining chip he had left.

“You don’t like it when I move?” Link asked in as much of a teasing voice as he could manage. He was a bit out of practice in this, but it wasn’t hard for his fingers to follow Ganondorf’s bare chest down. The Gerudo’s hips twitched when Link cupped the fork of his pants. The Hylian began to stroke. “Are you sure?”

Ganondorf’s eyes closed, and he was soon grinding against Link’s hand. His cock grew hard quickly. 

Link gave up the teasing talk—he had never been any good at that—and tugged Ganondorf’s belt line down. He had seen the Gerudo’s cock plenty of times during his stay at The Fortress, but never before had he seen it like this. It was erect and quivering in his hand, flushed with heat, and was much larger than when in its flaccid state.

A moan rose in Ganondorf’s throat, and Link watched the apple in his throat bob when he swallowed. “Link...” The Gerudo’s voice was husky. “Link, you don’t know… You don’t know how much I want to hurt you.”

“I do know,” Link said. “I can see it in your face and body. But you’re stronger than your past. I know you are. You’re stronger than I ever will be.” He ceased stroking Ganondorf’s cock—the Gerudo groaned in disappointment—and pushed his upper body up so that he could press another kiss to Ganondorf’s head. “You can’t have my life. You’ll never forgive yourself. But everything else is yours for the taking.”

Ganondorf’s jaw trembled against Link’s cheek, matching the shake in his body from the rage he was holding back. He couldn’t contain it. All he could do was try and channel it before it turned him against Link. Desire might dull the edge. 

Link grunted when he was pushed back down against the ground. His sore neck protested, but Ganondorf swallowed the pained moan when his lips locked with Link’s. Soon his tongue began to probe. Link tasted a hint of the cigarette Ganondorf had smoked before bed. It reminded him of the time he had spent in the stronghold. Despite the uneasiness that had persisted during his stay, he had felt almost at home; comfortable and safe.

Link tried to find that same feeling now, but it was hard with a damaged windpipe and rough hands groping him. Ganondorf’s body radiated heat, and the tent was keeping it close. Link felt his own skin flush in response. He was actually getting a bit turned on by it all. That was a surprise. He returned Ganondorf’s hard kisses until the Gerudo’s lips moved away; along his jaw and down his neck. 

Link whimpered in pain for the first time, and at once Ganondorf raised his head. His eyes cleared a little after he drew back. “Link, I… I’m sorry—“ The apology sounded weak. He desired more to curse at Link; to blame him for everything; to take revenge. Instead, he once more spun the anger into desire. Link’s wheezing breaths were silenced for a moment when Ganondorf kissed him again. His hands ripped the Hylian’s pants off before spreading the paler thighs. Link’s body looked too thin and frail beneath Ganondorf’s roaming fingers. On the Hylian’s skin, Ganondorf tasted fear and want as he traced a meandering path to one of Link’s small nipples. Both emotions stirred up his desire more. He took hold of Link’s left hip, and the Hylian’s body arced when fingers pressed against his scarring. Something between a gasp and moan left Link’s lips.

Ganondorf liked the sound of that, and the feeling of Link’s hips grinding against him wasn’t bad either. He desperately needed to sheath himself in the smaller man beneath him. He wanted to feel Link’s warmth and the energy that ran through him; that kept his life’s flame burning. Kisses and touches weren’t enough.

Link caught a whiff of a familiar medicinal scent. Chu jelly. Well, he supposed it was better than lantern oil, or nothing at all. He shivered when a finger coated in the cool jelly pushed into him. It eagerly fell to prodding in as deep as it could. A second finger soon joined, then a third. Ganondorf fucked Link fast and hard with them while he watched the Hylian’s body shudder, and felt him tense around his fingers. He couldn’t wait anymore. 

The fingers pulled out, and Link jerked when Ganondorf’s thick cock pushed in to take their place. He wasn’t prepared; Ganondorf was too large. The pain shortened his breath. He wrapped his arms around Ganondorf’s back and dug his fingers into the dragons inked across it. Each thrust buried Ganondorf in a little deeper until his cock was fully enveloped in Link’s warmth. He wanted to pause and enjoy this moment; the point where they had finally connected on a physical level. But the rage that he had spun into desire wouldn’t allow him. It didn’t want to pause. It wanted to keep moving. It needed release.

Link felt the bulk of Ganondorf’s girth leave him, and he just managed to brace himself for the inevitable hard thrust that followed. Even so, he voiced a sharp gasp and buried his nails into Ganondorf’s back. The dragons began to bleed from the small crescent moons carved into their scales. 

The needling pain in Ganondorf’s back dragged something out of his past. The pain of battle wounds suffered while fighting against other Heroes… and now here he was returning the pain. At this satisfied thought he came hard and felt his cum further slick Link’s tight channel. Coming inside a Hero… Marking him in such a way… Now that had appeal.

Link cursed to himself. He could feel the Gerudo’s hot cum inside him, but also the cock that was still filling him with its hardness. He should have guessed the only male member of a tribe of women would have plenty of stamina. When the thrusts resumed, Link tightened his grip, pulling Ganondorf closer. The Gerudo’s eyes were closed in ecstasy, but Link could still see the hunger in his body. He felt the power in Ganondorf’s taut muscles as his hips pistoned. If this was how he had to exorcise his demons, so be it. Link supposed it was better than suffering broken bones.

The second time Ganondorf came, he buried his teeth deep into Link’s left shoulder. Link cried out in pain, and the smell of his blood mixed with the scent of sex in the enclosed tent. He was sure Ganondorf’s teeth had sharpened in that moment. With his shoulder throbbing, he accepted Ganondorf’s bloodstained lips and tongue. He probed the inside of the Gerudo’s mouth, expecting to find fangs, but his tongue found nothing of the sort.

A pleased sound rose in Ganondorf’s throat at Link’s exploration. He sat up and took hold of Link’s upraised legs as he resumed thrusting; harder and faster than before. With nothing left to hang on to, Link buried his fingers into the ground beneath him and rode out the thrusts with his face scrunched up in a pained grimace. There were no more kisses or touches in feign romance. Each plunge of Ganondorf’s cock was one of animalistic need. Link wasn’t even sure if Ganondorf recognized him at the moment. Perhaps he was seeing someone else; some other Hero from his ancestors’ past. 

Ganondorf’s thrusts finally slowed when he came for a third and last time. He buried the load deep into Link with a cry of satisfaction, and then bowed over the Hylian’s shuddering body. He hung his head between his braced forearms, and Link felt the sweat drops from the red hair fall onto his chest. A minute or so of silence passed, during which both men caught their breaths—Ganondorf easier than Link. 

Link felt lightheaded. Every breath through his damaged windpipe radiated pain, reminding him of the other pains in the rest of his body. He needed to feel fresh air and cool water. He shifted beneath Ganondorf, hoping the Gerudo would get the hint. With a grunt, Ganondorf pushed himself up and pulled out of Link, who jerked with a hiss of pain. A pink thread connected them for a second longer before breaking. Link felt cum and slicker blood escaping him. 

Ganondorf rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes with a sigh. One of his hands lingered on Link’s abdomen where it traced the lines of his scarring. Ganondorf had always liked the scar—even though he was the one who had caused it. He quickly fell asleep, feeling its roughness under his hand.

When Ganondorf opened his eyes, the morning sun greeted him. He saw that he was alone in the tent, but he took that for the normal sight it was until the memory of last night rushed back to him. It tensed his muscles and widened his eyes, and in seconds he was out of the tent, hitching up his pants as he ran.

 _“Link!”_ Ganondorf looked around the camp in search of his traveling companion. The horses raised their heads at his shout, and Kara swooped down from a branch with a curious chirp.

“Kara! Kara, find Link,” Ganondorf urged the guay. She at once took off with a trill and vanished above the trees. Ganondorf’s fingers twisted together while he waited for the guay to return. When she did, chirping an urge to follow, the dread in his gut only grew stronger. He took chase after Kara, and she led him to a stream not far from camp. Of course. Why didn’t he think to check here right away?

Link was seated in the stream, naked, looking like he was deep in meditation. The shallow, slow-moving water glided around his waist as it continued past him downstream. Ganondorf could see Link’s hands were smooth beneath the water. He hadn’t been in there long, but already he was shivering from the cold stream that surrounded him. 

“Link!” Ganondorf called. He stopped at the edge of the stream, and Link raised his head with a surprised look. The movement was not without pain, and when Ganondorf caught sight of the Hylian’s bruised neck he felt guilt clench his heart with an iron fist. That fist tightened when Ganondorf noticed the smaller bruises that surrounded the deep bite mark in Link’s shoulder. 

Link sighed, turned away, and glared upstream. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m fine.” His shivering voice struggled to make it out through his damaged throat.

Ganondorf crashed into the water and crossed to the middle where Link sat. The Hylian didn’t bother protesting as he was lifted up out of the water and carried out of the stream. There was bruising on his legs too. Once on solid ground, Ganondorf lowered him to the grass as gently as he could. 

“I take it you’re back in your normal mind,” Link remarked once he was seated again.

 _“Shh.”_ Ganondorf raised both hands to Link’s neck. The Hylian tensed on instinct, and Ganondorf’s heart panged. “Don’t talk for a moment.” Red energy surrounded Ganondorf’s hands. It spread over Link’s neck and shoulder, and he yelped when his windpipe healed itself in an instant of sharp pain. But his breaths came easy once again, and the bruising faded along with the pain. Once the bite mark healed over, Ganondorf dropped his hands to Link’s thighs. He waited for Link to pull away, or push aside his hands, but the Hylian merely sat still while Ganondorf soothed away the damage he had caused.

Once the pain was gone, Link was able to relax. He sighed long and deep in relief. The same couldn’t be said for Ganondorf. The Gerudo’s head hung low in shame. Link could see the apology building on his lips. He cut it off by saying, “It wasn’t your fault.”

Ganondorf grimaced. “Yes it was,” he whispered. “I lost control, and not for the first time.”

“Probably not the last, either,” Link added. “Don’t worry about it. I knew I was taking a risk traveling with you.”

“’Don’t worry about it’?” Ganondorf repeated, and he raised his head with a look of disbelief. “I could have killed you--”

“You didn’t.”

“This time!”

“Because of me,” Link pointed out, and Ganondorf paused. “I turned the situation around. If I hadn’t, you surely would have killed me. But you didn’t, so don’t fret over it.”

Ganondorf couldn’t believe what he was hearing. There was no way Link could turn this around as a good thing. He hadn’t even been aroused. There had only been pain and fear for him. “You can’t sit here and be so calm about this,” Ganondorf snapped. “You weren’t exactly letting me fuck you for the pleasure.”

“I never claimed it was for pleasure,” Link said, and now an irritated frown creased his brow. “It was survival, plain and simple. You were going to kill me, and the only weapon I had was myself. It was no different from what I’ve done before.”

“What do you mean?” Ganondorf pressed. Concern laced the words. 

“Nothing. Never mind.”

Ganondorf glared at him. “Should I ask Impa?”

Link grumbled and crossed his arms over his bare lap. Ganondorf would ask her, no doubt, and that would lead to questions he didn’t want to answer. He might as well tell the story. “Before… Before I got a handle on living in Hyrule Field, things were rough. During the warmer seasons it wasn’t too bad. Master Rusl had taught me how to hunt, and I could take odd jobs for rupees. But I was unprepared for the winter. Suddenly there was far less game, and the nights were even colder than the days. I tried to spread out what savings I had for warm inns, but that bought me only a month before I had to sell what I owned for more rupees. I got another week’s stay out of those before I was once more out in the cold again, and in a worse state than before. All I had was Epona, and there was no way I was selling her. I would have died first.

“I was walking through a town one night, trying to stay moving so that I wouldn’t freeze to death in my sleep, when I passed by a brothel and got the idea to sell myself. Problem was, Hyrulean soldiers frequented them. Someone would recognize me and either report or gloat to Impa that her _lytel rabeta_ was whoring himself out. I couldn’t have that.”

“Why didn’t you go home?” Ganondorf asked. “Back to the castle, I mean,” he rushed out when a pained smile came to Link’s lips. “Or to the Sheikah village, or Ordon?”

“Come on, Gan,” Link murmured. “You’ve known me long enough to answer that question yourself.”

Ganondorf supposed he did. “So pride stopped you from going home, but it didn’t stop you from selling yourself? You had a choice—a warm place to return to—which is more than most people in back alleys have.”

“I didn’t have a home,” Link said. “As soon as I stepped onto that field, I left my home behind. I wasn’t going to crawl back just because things were bad for a few months.”

“Link--”

“Anyway,” Link cut in, “I bounced between households for the rest of the winter. ‘I’ll warm your bed if you warm my stomach.’ It was a surprisingly convincing pitch. Some people didn’t even bother with the sex and just fed me out of concern, but most accepted the offer, and were kind in a way. Others… Well, they took advantage of me. But that was the price I sometimes paid for rapping on strangers’ doors in the dead of winter.” Link paused while Ganondorf digested the revelation with an uneasy stomach. “Impa doesn’t know,” Link added after a while. “I was careful to make sure she never found out, and anyway I was much more prepared by the next winter so it never happened again. Please don’t tell her.”

Link’s nonchalance throughout his story grated on Ganondorf’s nerves. He wanted to get angry… but then he remembered where his anger had led him last night. He clenched his hands, but agreed. “Fine,” he promised. “But in return, I want a favor from you. If I ever… force myself on you again, I want you to fight back. Carry a blade on you if you have to. Hurt me or even kill me. But don’t ever let me use you like that again. I’m not my mothers.”

“I can’t promise that,” Link replied. “I’m not going to hurt you over something you can’t control.”

“Then how do you expect to deal with it?” Ganondorf nearly shouted. Here was the rage again, rising up like bile in his throat. He shoved it back down. It was easier than it had been all week. Was that because he had satisfied some of it?

“Easy,” Link answered. As if he had read Ganondorf’s mind, he said, “If I think you’re close to tipping over, we’ll just have sex. That should help.”

Ganondorf’s jaw clenched. “You’re not some hole to me that I use when the mood strikes.”

“I’m not saying that,” Link said. “You’re attracted to me, aren’t you? It’s only natural you would want to fuck me. And hey, maybe with enough time it’ll turn into a true act of love.”

No matter how Ganondorf argued, Link was going to turn things around. He could see that now, just as he could see that yes, fucking Link was a lot better than killing him; and he wanted the act to be out of passion next time instead of anger. 

Link took Ganondorf’s silence as consent. “So we’re agreed then.” 

His business-like tone irritated Ganondorf. This wasn’t a contract. They were talking about a relationship here, even if it was purely a physical one. “Yeah, we’re agreed,” Ganondorf said. “Now let me seal our agreement.”

“What do you mean?” Link asked. Ganondorf moved closer in response, and Link nearly fell over when he leaned back.

Ganondorf chuckled. “As I thought. Your confident talk was bullbo shit. You simply put ‘Use me’ into prettier words. But I’m not those bastards you allowed to fuck you in exchange for a corner to sleep in and a scrap of dinner. If I’m going to feel good, you’re going to as well.” He lowered a hand down between Link’s crossed legs and took hold of the Hylian’s cock. “You never got off last night. I want to repay the favor.”

“If it’ll make you happy,” Link said.

“It isn’t about my happiness this time,” Ganondorf corrected. He coaxed Link’s legs apart with far gentler hands than he had used last night and lowered his head to take Link’s cock into his mouth. The Hylian gasped and jerked away, and Ganondorf lifted his head. “What?”

Link shook his head and tried to calm his racing heart. What was wrong with him? “N-nothing,” he stammered.

Ganondorf studied Link’s pale face, complete with trembling jaw. _“Toftin,”_ he said.

Link frowned and cocked his head to the side. “Isn’t that ‘apple’ in Gerudian?”

“Yes,” Ganondorf confirmed. “If you don’t like what I’m doing, say _toftin_ and I’ll stop. I promise.”

Link nodded. “Okay,” he said. He looked calmer already.

Ganondorf’s lips fell over Link’s cock once again. So Link’s “lovers” hadn’t bothered in pleasuring him much, Ganondorf guessed, aside from sticking his cock in a hole for their own benefit. Not for the first time Ganondorf wished Link had grown up beside him at the stronghold. He may have started impregnating the women of his tribe by thirteen, but there had always been a mutual agreement between him and his lovers. Link only knew how to use his body as another survival tool; no different from the bow he carried.

 _Although I’m sure he gives the bow more love than he gives himself,_ Ganondorf thought while he sucked and licked at Link’s hardened cock. One hand massaged the Hylian’s balls, occasionally dropping down to give his entrance a teasing probe. Link’s soft moans encouraged Ganondorf on, and a hand threaded through the Gerudo’s thick hair; gently guiding his movements with tugs here and there.

Ganondorf wasn’t new to sucking cock. He was a regular customer at The Mayfly back home, and while he admired many of the men in that establishment, he had never met someone like Link. Perhaps he was biased; if that was the case, so be it. After all, there had been plenty of men bigger and more sensual than Link. The Hylian’s body was largely average—if on the short and thin side—there was nothing extraordinary about his cock, and what little sexual drive he had was hidden behind stiff shoulders and attitude. Even so, Ganondorf couldn’t think of any male partner who had made him feel such desire. 

Link’s hips began to move, and Ganondorf handed over the bulk of control to him. He greedily accepted each thrust, and when he noticed Link was near to release he sucked the Hylian’s cock deep into his throat. He listened to Link’s breaths sharpen, and waited for the cry that would announce his orgasm. But Link came in silence with only a slight clenching of his hand in Ganondorf’s hair. Warm cum spilled out into the back of Ganondorf’s throat. He swallowed it all and licked the remnants off of Link’s softening cock. 

Link’s face and chest were flushed red. He pushed himself up and looked at Ganondorf in some trepidation. “Well? Was it okay?”

Ganondorf kept a frown from his face and instead leaned in and kissed Link’s lips. “Of course. Why would you think otherwise?”

Link looked away and shrugged. A smile came to his lips. It looked forced. “You swallowed, so I guess it was all right. That’s a rare treat, by the way, seeing how I’m the only Regn Hylian left in all the world. Don’t tell Shad, or he might want to open you up for a sample.”

“Don’t give him any ideas,” Ganondorf said, and Link laughed a little. That sounded forced too. There was a look in Link’s eyes that Ganondorf didn’t like. It was as if the Hylian had distanced himself from the Gerudo in the short time since coming in his mouth. “Hey, Link—”

Link stood up, using Ganondorf’s shoulder as support. “I’m going to get dressed and cook us some breakfast.” He put literal distance between himself and Ganondorf when he walked into the undergrowth, heading back for camp. It underlined the long way both he and Ganondorf had to walk before they could shake off their past.


End file.
